Tangled up in you
by sniphy
Summary: Sorey is an unlucky adventurer on the run. Mikleo is the lost prince of a kingdom. They meet by chance and set out to explore some ruins together. Of course, things don't go exactly as planned. [Tangled AU]
1. Chapter 1

Once upon a time there was a kingdom. The kingdom was ruled by a gentle Queen and her King, and together they were beloved by all. For many years the Queen and King tried to have a child, and finally succeeded. But when the Queen was heavy with child, the King fell ill. The Queen sent for the best healers in all of her kingdom and the ones nearby, but none of them were successful in their attempts at healing the King.

And so, after many long months of despair, the King passed away. The kingdom mourned, but the Queen had to be strong. Her child was to be born soon, and while the loss of her husband had crushed her, the Queen's heart was filled with hope whenever she thought of the little bundle of joy she'd soon get to hold in her arms.

The child was born, head full of brilliant white hair and eyes the same color as his mother's, and the Queen's life was filled with purpose again. The Queen's magical advisors soon determined that the baby was blessed with potent healing magic, the bright white hair on his head holding the key to great power. And at that moment the Queen knew that her son was destined to be the most beloved and gentle ruler her land had ever seen.

Her happiness did not last long, however. For the Queen had a brother, a bitter man who had been cast away from the court, unpopular with the people. While his sister had inherited the crown and was loved by her devoted husband as well as the citizens of her kingdom, the brother was left with nothing.

So in a fit of jealousy the Queen's brother acted, wanting to take her happiness away once more. One night he infiltrated the castle, heading straight for the nursery. And in there he found his nephew. At that moment he was reassured that stealing the child away was indeed the right thing for him to do; for he could sense the child's powerful magic and realized how it could serve him well.

Thus, into the night he disappeared, with his nephew in his arms. And when the Queen awoke, her heart was broken once again. For the second time, she had lost the most precious thing in her life.

Not even the best officers in the kingdom could find the child, no matter how far they searched. For the Queen's brother had hid him well, in a high tower guarded by cliffs, hidden deep inside the forest. And in there he raised the child, nurturing his magical powers and benefitting from them. They kept the brother young, healthy and powerful, and he took great pleasure in knowing that the Queen spent each passing year mourning his son, the lost prince.

The boy grew up to be a sharp young lad, and his uncle never cut his hair, for he knew it would take away the magic within him.

So in a tower in the middle of the forest, guarded by tall cliffs, there lived a young boy with brilliant white hair that would reach all the way to the ground from the top of the tower.

This is the tale of him.

* * *

The days in the tower were all the same. Mikeo knew each and every one of his books from cover to cover, could probably recite them even in his sleep. And he had a lot of books. Most of them were about history and different tales. When Mikleo wasn't reading, he was writing. He wrote all kinds of texts, speculations and conclusions that had popped into his head while reading his books.

Writing them on paper wasn't exactly satisfying, but at least it let him get them out of his head. He'd much rather discuss the texts with someone, but his only companion was his uncle Michael with his regular visits. And they were usually short, matter-of-fact, and uninterested. It was always Michael who did the talking, and most of it had to do with making sure that Mikleo knew how important it was to stick to his routines and let Michael know if something was weird or different.

So Mikleo read and wrote and stared out of the window, doing a whole lot of thinking. He took solace in the view from the top of his tower. The only thing that ever changed were the seasons. He could always see the same trees, the same little stream and the same cliffs around him, hiding his tower from the outside world. Oh, how he wondered what lay beyond them.

It had been like this for as long as Mikleo could remember. Him and the tower, first uncle Michael raising him there and then moving out when he was old enough, only to pay him a short visit when he could. Occasionally he'd bring a new book, and Mikleo would get lost in it for the next day or two, depending on how thick it was. And sooner or later, he'd know the new book by heart, too.

Uncle Michael had taught him that the outside world wasn't for him, but he still wished he could go outside and explore some ancient ruins. Or even just to see some from his window and be able to observe them from afar, trying to find out the secrets that they held.

"Mikleo, let down your hair!" That was his cue. It was uncle Michael, who always greeted him with that sentence, urging him to get to the window so his uncle could climb the tower with the help of his long hair.

Mikleo complied. His uncle didn't like waiting, always scolding him when he took too long getting to the window.

Mikleo grabbed the end of his ponytail, wrapping the length of his hair around the hook by the window and throwing it out of the window with one graceful move, like he had done countless times before.

And soon enough uncle Michael had hoisted himself up and was standing right there in front of Mikleo.

"Well done, Mikleo. As always. You really are so good at that." Michael's smile was exaggerated.

"It's nothing." Mikleo tugged his hair away from the hook and pulled it back inside, moving to clean up his books and writings from his desk, mostly just looking for something to distract himself with while Michael was there.

"I trust everything is well in here? Nothing unusual?" Gloves were peeled off, a cloak hung on the rack beside the window.

"Everything is as usual," Mikleo paused. "Well. There's- there's one thing, you know." Oh, how he hated himself for stuttering like that. But his uncle was looking at him so sternly now, almost making him regret mentioning anything at all.

"Hm?" A simple, dismissive reply. It was like his uncle wasn't actually interested at all, but he was looking at Mikleo with a frown. Michael hated it when anything strayed from routines.

"My birthday's coming up." Mikleo didn't mean to blurt it out like that, but it was probably for the best. His uncle had a tendency to get rather cross whenever he felt like Mikleo was blabbering.

"No, no, no, can't be." His uncle's smile turned into a grin while he made his way to a chair and sat down. "I distinctly remember. Your birthday was last year."

He was playing with him, of course. Mikleo had always thought his uncle's sense of humor was rather strange. Why something like this amused him so greatly, Mikleo could never imagine. It was like Michael wanted him to feel like he considered Mikleo to be rather simple. Which he really wasn't, and they both knew it.

"Well, that's the funny thing about birthdays. They're kind of an annual thing." He'd play along a little, just for now. There was a point to this conversation, after all. It wouldn't do him any good if he'd annoy his uncle now.

"Uncle, I…" Mikleo sat down on a chair across Michael, threading his fingers through his own hair. "My point was, and I've been thinking about this for a while now, and I thought, since I'm turning eighteen in a few days, I just wanted to ask-"

"Mikleo."

"Yes?"

"Stop with the blabbering. You know I hate it."

Great, now he really was annoyed. But Mikleo had started already, so there was nothing else left for him to do than just come out with it.

"I want to see ruins."

"What?" On Michael's face was the most incredulous look he had ever given Mikleo.

"I was hoping you would take me to see some ruins," Mikleo explained.

This earned him a snort.

"You want to go outside?" Michael didn't wait for a reply, however; instead he got up from his chair and started pacing around the room, starting to rant.

"And ruins? For what purpose? Actually, where have you even gotten into your little head the idea that there are any ruins around here?" Michael dragged a hand across his face. "I knew I shouldn't have brought you all those books. I knew it, knew you'd get some stupid ideas."

Well. Mikleo certainly hadn't expected _this_ level of defensiveness. He was at a loss, not sure how to respond to his uncle's words. But he didn't have to, since Michael kept on talking and pacing, agitated.

"Mikleo, you know what I have taught you ever since you were a child. Your place is here, nowhere else. I have given my everything to keep you happy, I have given you all of _these_ -" He gestured towards the tall bookshelves lined up against the walls, filled with books. "I have kept you safe, fed you. And _this_ is how you repay me? You know the most important rule, Mikleo. Why would you ask to go outside?"

Now Mikleo really did regret saying anything. This couldn't have gone any worse.

"Uncle, I'm sorry. Just forget it, I-"

But Michael wouldn't drop it just yet, stepping right in front of Mikleo before he even realized it and grabbing his chin, making him look up at his uncle's face.

"What's the most important rule, Mikleo?" His eyes were dark.

"I said I'm sorry, forget I said anything." But the hold on his chin tightened. Michael was absolutely livid.

"What is the number one rule?" He repeated, putting emphasis on each of the words.

"Don't ever leave the tower."

Michael let go of him.

"Good." He stepped away from Mikleo and made his way to the window. His gaze was fixed on the view, and he was frowning, looking like he held a grudge to the scenery for trying to tempt Mikleo away like that. Mikleo still couldn't find anything to say.

For a moment they were both silent, Mikleo staring at Michael, who was staring out of the window.

"The world is a dangerous place, Mikleo. I just need you to understand that. If you go outside, you'll be hunted, taken advantage of, even killed. I just want to protect you. Please don't ever think of leaving this tower again. It won't happen."

A pause. "Right. I understand, uncle."

The disappointment hit Mikleo hard right then, but he didn't dare show it. He hadn't imagined his uncle's reaction would be so severe. Michael wasn't usually so harsh, but he had always put an emphasis on the fact that Mikleo wasn't to leave the tower. He should've known his request would be received like this.

"You know I only want what's best for you."

"Yes, uncle." Mikleo felt defeated. For years he had been thinking about this, planning to ask his uncle. And now that he had finally dared to do it - one's 18th birthday was a special occasion after all - he had been completely shot down.

Michael was talking again, but Mikleo wasn't listening anymore, allowing himself to stare right ahead of him, lost in thought. It had been his dream, to go and explore ancient ruins, and now he would never achieve it. Surely the world wouldn't be so dangerous if he just went with his uncle? But Mikleo knew that Michael wouldn't have it, so he kept silent.

Michael's stern look had turned into a smile, and he was in front of Mikleo again. Mikleo looked up at him as Michael grabbed a strand of his white hair, caressing it. "You're very dear to me, you know?"

"You too, uncle." Sometimes Michael got all weird like this. Mikleo just prayed he wouldn't _sniff_ his hair right now, like he sometimes did. It really weirded him out.

"I'm afraid I must go now." Michael said after he'd fondled Mikleo's hair for a while. He went to put on his cloak.

Mikleo got up from his chair. Then he wrapped his hair around the hook again and threw the length of it out of the window for his uncle to use.

"I'll come back on your birthday."

"But that's three days away." Michael usually came by the tower every day, so Mikleo was surprised to hear that he was planning to leave him alone for so long. He could handle himself in the tower, sure, but going away for so long was highly uncharacteristic of his uncle.

"I know. I'm planning to get something special for your birthday," Michael winked. Mikleo wondered if he felt bad about yelling at him, but he wasn't opposed to getting a cool birthday present to make up for it. Maybe Michael was planning to get him some rare tome… That would certainly ease his disappointment for a long while.

Michael pulled him into a hug, which Mikleo sluggishly returned. "Now be a good boy while I'm gone."

"Yes, uncle." Michael pulled away and got on the windowsill, grabbing the hair hanging from the hook. And just like that he was gone from Mikleo's sight, climbing down the wall of the tower. Mikleo's tower, which Mikleo could never leave.

* * *

Sorey didn't know where it all went so wrong.

One moment he and Rose were wandering the ancient temple, awestruck by the marvelous carvings and designs, and the next they were being chased by angry thugs who were yelling something about thieves and betrayals. Sorey really didn't understand a thing.

What's worse, somewhere along trying to find a route outside he and Rose got separated. And now here he was, alone in the middle of the forest with a painful cut on his arm (how the thug had managed to hit him, he really didn't know). He wasn't even sure if anyone was still chasing him, but he thought he had still heard angry yelling just a little while ago. So he kept running.

He knew he had to find a place to hide and patch himself up. Sadly, the forest suddenly seemed devoid of any caves, or fallen trees, even big rocks. And Sorey could feel himself getting tired. But now he could clearly hear the thugs cursing nearby again. They had caught up to him.

Sorey couldn't help it; he had to stop. His lungs felt like they were on fire, sweat was rolling down his face and the cut on his arm was throbbing painfully. How deep was it? He leaned against a cliff covered in ivy, planning on staying there for just a second to catch his breath.

Except instead of leaning on it, he hit the ground like a log. Confused, Sorey looked around from his position on the ground. It seemed like the ivy had hidden an entrance to a cave. And it was a perfect little cavern; the thugs would surely miss it. Grinning at his good luck, Sorey got up and decided to head deeper into the cave, just in case.

It turned out that the cave did not go on for very long; Sorey could soon see the bright sunlight again. Now he was curious, his wound completely forgotten for a moment. Where did the cave lead to?

Sorey headed towards the exit at an increasing pace, and when he finally reached it, his eyes went wide.

"Wow."

He was greeted with a picture-perfect scenery. A perfect little waterfall, leading to a clear stream. Colorful wildflowers, vibrant green bushes and trees. And in the middle of it all, a tower. Sorey stared at it. What was it for? Who had built it?

Sorey felt drawn towards the tower. If he could just get in there, maybe he could find out more about it. Was it old? Probably not as old as the ruins he usually explored, although it was covered with vines and certainly not brand new.

Much to his disappointment, the small entrance at the base of the tower was sealed shut with bricks. But such little misfortunes could never hold Sorey back; he was an adventurer, after all. And he took pride in always finding a way to enter the places he wanted to. Sorey peered up at the top of the tower. There was a large window that seemed to be open. Now he just hoped that whatever was inside hadn't been ruined by bad weather.

Getting up to the window would be the tricky part. Sorey was no shabby climber, but the bricks on the tower didn't exactly look like they offered the ideal places to get a grip on. Still, he wouldn't turn back now. It would certainly be a challenge, but he'd just have to extra careful. He'd get there.

 _Less thinking, more climbing_ , Sorey thought and grabbed a brick that was right above his eye level and jutted out just a little, beginning his climb.

It was the slowest climb he had ever had. It took everything Sorey had to keep himself from slipping. His heart was pounding, his fingers felt like they were on fire and the cut on his arm had started throbbing painfully again. He hoped he'd find something to help him patch that up inside the tower.

Sorey was breathing hard, muttering under his breath. He was almost at the top and the bricks felt increasingly slippery. He couldn't fall now, it would be a miserable and embarrassing ending to his life as an adventurer. And it would all be for a mysterious tower that barely even predated the most grand buildings in the kingdom. Rose would scold him for dying like that.

Scrambling, Sorey finally got to the window, sitting on the windowsill.

"Whew!"

He was certainly adventuring now. The view from the top was spectacular and the rush of adrenaline felt amazing, making Sorey laugh a little to himself. Finally at the top, safe and sound! Rose would be proud.

Rose. Sorey would have to find her again soon. There weren't many things he did without his friend, but he knew they'd both be alright on their own for a little while. Rose was definitely tougher than him. First he'd tend to his arm, then snoop around the tower a little. After that he could look for Rose. He had a hunch about her whereabouts, anyway.

Enough reflecting. He had reached the top of the tower and the room inside was calling him. He got inside, giddy, thinking about what he would find there.

It was rather dark inside. Which wasn't a surprise, really, since the only source of light was the open window he'd just crawled in from.

But before Sorey could find any additional windows, he realized the place didn't look abandoned at all.

On the contrary, really. It looked very much lived in.

The fireplace had embers, and there was not a hint of dust anywhere. Sorey gasped when his eyes registered the huge bookcases lining up the walls, filled with books, but he didn't have time to properly get excited about _all of these books_ , because then he was greeted with _hair_.

Sorey's eyes went wide. What he saw was bright white hair with blue tips. And there was _a lot_ of it. His eyes followed it and it went on and on and on, until he finally laid his eyes on the owner of it all. He couldn't see very well, though, thanks to the lack of light in the room. He squinted.

It seemed like the person before him was a young man, about the same age as Sorey himself. He was holding a stick of some sort, and all Sorey could really tell about his other features was that he wasn't a very big person.

Hopefully that meant Sorey wouldn't get flogged.

"Uh…" But before Sorey could come up with actual words to say, the boy stepped forward. The light from the window hit him, allowing Sorey to see him better.

And that was when Sorey stopped breathing.

The look on the boy's face was stern and displeased, but Sorey could only focus on the brilliant amethyst eyes looking at him with such fire in them. They weren't quite angry - no, it was nothing that simple. Sorey could only tell there was a whole lot of emotion in them.

The stranger's skin was fair. Like porcelain or snow, Sorey thought. White hair framed his face perfectly. Surely this was what angels looked like.

Sorey had never seen anything so beautiful in his entire life.

For a while they stared at one another. Sorey really couldn't tell what the other was thinking about, but his own mind was racing. Who was this person? Did he live in this tower all by himself? _What was with the hair_?

Then something jabbed him on the chest and he remember to breathe again. The stranger had armed himself with a broom and was pointing it at Sorey.

"I am not afraid of you," came the voice. It was lying, though, the waver in it giving its owner away. "Who are you and how did you find me?"

"Uh- what?"

"Who are you and how did you find me? What do you want with my hair?" the stranger was still pointing the broom at him, looking like he wasn't quite sure what to do with it. Sorey understood why the boy felt threatened, though. He had just broken into his home, after all, and he was armed with a sword. How was the stranger supposed to know he'd never use it on anything else than aggressive beasts lurking in the ruins he explored?

"Hey, look, I'm not going to hurt you." Sorey smiled gently, putting his hands up in surrender to prove his point and reassure the mysterious boy. The broom didn't go down, however, and the stranger kept eyeing him with suspicion.

"My name is Sorey," he offered. "I was being chased because… Well, it's kind of weird, but I stumbled upon your tower by accident, I swear! I didn't think anyone actually lived here. I'm sorry for breaking in."

Slowly, the broom was lowered, but the long-haired boy's eyes stayed on Sorey's, still questioning him. Sorey had no idea what to say now. Then the stranger looked at Sorey's arm and his face softened a little.

"You're injured."

"Wha- Oh! That's right, this-" Sorey looked at his arm. He had forgotten about the wound.

The boy in front of him looked conflicted, staring at the cut on Sorey's arm.

"I actually came here to see if there was anything that would help me treat this." That, and his endless curiosity. But he didn't need to say that one out loud right now.

"Yes… I'm sure there's something. I'll, uh, go and see if I can find anything."

* * *

Mikleo felt like an idiot, repeating his last words in his head. _Real smooth_. _There's something. I'll see if I can find anything_. Gah.

He didn't even know what had gotten into him. An intruder in his tower and here he was, planning to tend to his wounds instead of throwing him out like a rock without his hair to help him descend. But that boy… Sorey, he'd said, didn't look dangerous. He looked very kind, in fact.

Mikleo could feel himself blush when he thought of the smile Sorey had given him. What in the world had gotten into him? Just a few hours ago Michael was giving him the usual speech about the dangers of the outside world and mankind, yet here Mikleo was, his stomach fluttering at the thought of those bright green eyes that had just looked at him. It was absurd.

He'd almost given himself away, too. It would've been so simple to just use his magic to heal Sorey's arm, but he couldn't. Especially if the man was actually telling the truth and had no idea about Mikleo or his magical powers. No matter how harmless Sorey seemed, Michael's words echoed in Mikleo's head. The outside world was full of people who wanted to harm him and take advantage of his powers.

Was Sorey like that, too? He really didn't seem like it.

The only option Mikleo had was to try and help treat the wound by normal, non-magical means. Which he had never done before.

Why did he even want to help Sorey so bad? They didn't know a thing about each other, he hadn't even given Sorey his name yet. But there was something about him… Mikleo couldn't explain it. He felt drawn to him. He _wanted_ to treat Sorey's wound. And if he had to do it without the help of his magical glowing hair, then so be it.

He emerged from his room, making his way back over to Sorey with an assortment of pieces of cloth to use as bandage, scissors and a basin of water. That's all he really had. But surely the cut couldn't be too deep, since Sorey seemed to be feeling alright? He had even climbed the tower.

Sorey, who was sitting on the floor, had taken off his overshirt, presumably to access the wound properly. Mikleo allowed himself to stare at his toned arms for a little while. Why did he find them so attractive? _What was this?_ When the brunette saw that Mikleo was back, he gave him that smile again. Mikleo knelt down beside him, hoping that the restricted lightning in the room hid the blush on his face. He set down the things he was carrying and wasn't sure what to do next.

Luckily Sorey seemed to have an idea. He grabbed a piece of cloth, dunking it in the water and began cleaning up his arm. "Thanks."

Mikleo let out a small hum in reply, keeping his eyes on Sorey.

"You never told me your name, by the way." Sorey glanced up at him briefly, the smile still on his face.

"Oh. Right," Mikleo said with a nod. That had been rather rude of him, he supposed. "My name is Mikleo."

"Mikleo," Sorey repeated and grinned. "Nice to meet you, Mikleo."

That made Mikleo smile just a little. Truly, this had to be the weirdest encounter in his entire life. Not that he had any previous ones to compare it to, if the ones with uncle Michael were overlooked.

Sorey seemed keen on keeping the conversation going while he cleaned up his wound.

"So, what's with the hair?"

Mikleo paused before replying.

"Don't ask."

"Huh. Well, alright. What's with the tower then?"

"Don't ask."

"... Right." Sorey looked around the room, seeming a little bummed. Then his eyes lit up. "So, you read a lot?"

That certainly was a topic Mikleo could talk about until the end of the world.

"Yes, I do." He hoped that Sorey didn't interpret his short answers as unwillingness to talk. That couldn't be any further away from the truth. But he just didn't know what more to say.

"What's your favorite book?" Sorey had gotten to the point where he was trying to tie a bandage around the cleaned up wound, and he seemed to have great difficulties doing it with only one hand. Mikleo felt shy, wondering if he should help him with that.

"The Celestial Record," he answered instead. Then with a hint of pride he added, "I know it by heart, from cover to cover."

Sorey stopped his hopeless fumbling with the bandage at that, looking up at Mikleo with wide eyes and the most excited expression Mikleo could ever imagine on anyone.

"No way! That's my favorite, too!"

"Oh." Now Mikleo was smiling again, too. Sorey seemed to have this kind of effect on him.

That's when Mikleo decided to finally reach out and help Sorey with the bandage. He wrapped it around the other man's arm as many times as it would reach, then secured it with a tight knot. Hopefully that would be enough and the cut would heal neatly on its own.

"Thanks," Sorey said. "So, are you an adventurer, too? You know, since you like the Celestial Record so much? Oh, man, I remember reading it as a little boy and dreaming of exploring ruins and uncovering ancient secrets. And now here I am, doing just that for a living."

Mikleo blinked at that. That was exactly what he had done when he was younger, too. Only that it was still just a dream for him. And it would forever be just a dream. He paused. Or would it? Mikleo's mind started racing, and it took him a while to realize that Sorey was looking at him expectantly, waiting for an answer.

"Oh, I- no, I'm not an adventurer, but I…" This was crazy. Could he really say this? Would it be this easy? "I've always dreamed of going to explore some ruins."

And now he was here, with a friendly stranger who also happened to be a real adventurer, experienced in exploring ruins. And Michael was going to be gone for a couple of days. And Mikleo's 18th birthday was coming up.

"Oh? Well, if it's your dream, you definitely should do it sometime! Reading books is great, but it's another thing seeing all the marvelous details in person!"

"I've never left this tower," Mikleo blurted out.

"Huh?"

"I've been inside this tower my whole life. My uncle raised me here and I'm not allowed to leave."

"What?" The smile had disappeared from Sorey's face. Mikleo looked straight into his eyes, pleading.

"Would you take me to see some ruins?"

He must've been out of his mind. But if Michael wouldn't take him, maybe Sorey would. They didn't even know each other, but Sorey seemed like such a kind soul and Mikleo would hate himself for the rest of his life if he didn't at least try to seize this opportunity.

For a moment Sorey just stared at him, blinking. Then he spoke.

"Well, I could, I guess, but… your uncle, you said?"

"He'll be gone for the next two days. So we'll go to see some ruins, then I'll come back before he does and he'll be none the wiser." Mikleo was feeling determined now. This was what he wanted. His dream. He would make it happen.

"Right..." Sorey looked like he was still processing everything Mikleo had said. "I don't know. Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"Sure it is! Please, I don't know if I'll ever get a chance like this again." Mikleo was ready to beg, if he had to. Then he had an idea. "Plus, it's my birthday in a couple of days."

"Your birthday?" Sorey looked perplexed. He seemed to ponder Mikleo's words for a moment. Finally he nodded, a grin appearing on his face. "Okay, I'll take you to some ruins if you want to. It's your dream after all."

Mikleo grinned. His dream would come true.

* * *

Leaving had seemed much easier in Mikleo's head. There he was, standing on his windowsill with his hair hanging from the hook again. He was clinging to it. Sorey had already made his way down with the help of it, commenting on how amazing and surreal it was. Mikleo had never thought of his hair that way, but Sorey's awed comments had made it clear that having a ponytail that reached down to the ground from the top of a high tower was definitely not considered normal in the outside world.

"You alright?" Sorey shouted up at him.

"Yes, just. Give me a moment." He replied.

He thought of his uncle, and all his warnings. He thought about how this tower was the only thing he really knew and about how this was the place he belonged. That was what Michael always told him, yet somehow it felt like a complete lie.

But he'd come back. Michael would never find out. It was alright. So he grabbed his hair even tighter and jumped.

* * *

Again, Sorey's breath was taken away by the sight in front of him.

Just a while ago, he had climbed down from the tower with the help of Mikleo's hair. That itself was already incredible, but when Mikleo himself jumped down, Sorey was gawking.

He could swear that at that moment, time slowed down. Mikleo was falling, but he was controlling the fall, his grip on his hair tight. The bright white locks around his face were fluttering in the breeze and he wore the most concentrated expression. Sorey never wanted to look away.

But way too soon, the moment was over and Mikleo was on the ground too. He was staring down at his boots. Then he lifted his gaze and looked at Sorey. He looked so lost and it made Sorey's heart ache. He shot Mikleo his most reassuring smile.

"You alright?" He asked again. If Mikleo had really spent his entire life inside that tower, he must have felt so torn right in that moment, Sorey thought.

Mikleo returned his smile and nodded.

"I'm just feeling a little… Weird." He admitted.

"I understand." Sorey couldn't come up with anything else to say. He didn't want to rush Mikleo when he obviously needed a moment, but if they were actually going to explore some ruins and be back well before Mikleo risked getting caught, they ought to get a move on. Luckily Mikleo seemed to be aware of that as well.

"We can go."

So they started walking. Sorey was wondering where he'd actually take Mikleo. He wasn't sure it was a good idea to take him anywhere he himself hadn't been before, just in case. He was completely inexperienced, after all. And they didn't have many days to spare, either. So he settled on an old favorite: an old temple of sorts, quite near the town. He had been there many times with Rose, so the place was pretty much picked clean, but he could give Mikleo the experience, at least. And it would be safe. Sorey didn't want to put Mikleo in danger.

Oh right, _Rose_. How could he forget about Rose? They'd have to go and find her, first. Sorey couldn't just abandon his adventuring partner to go wandering around with the most beautiful human being he'd ever laid eyes on. Not that he didn't kind of want to do that. Just the two of them, alone in an abandoned temple…

Wait, what?

"I forgot to tell you something," Sorey sputtered, and Mikleo turned to look at him expectantly. "I have this friend, Rose. We always explore ruins together, but we got separated earlier. Is it alright if we go find her first?"

"Oh." Something changed in Mikleo's expression, but Sorey couldn't really place it. "Yes, that's fine."

"I think I already know where she is, so it won't take away any time from exploring, I swear!"

Mikleo nodded and smiled at Sorey briefly. Sorey returned the smile with a grin and began leading them towards The Snuggly Duckling.

* * *

Michael felt bad for yelling at Mikleo earlier, he really did. And he just couldn't bring himself to leave him alone for such a long time when his last visit had been like that. So he decided to visit his dear nephew a second time that day, maybe cook something for him to make amends.

But when his usual greeting wasn't met with white hair being thrown out of the window, he knew something was different.

And something being different could only mean something was wrong.

"Mikleo!" he yelled so hard his throat felt dry, praying the boy was just asleep, even though the dread inside him grew with each passing second.

Mikleo had to be in there. If he wasn't, everything was ruined. He'd be recognised out there. He'd be taken away from him. Michael wouldn't be in control of his powers anymore. Michael would be found out and they'd hang him.

Michael ran to the sealed entrance and began tearing at the bricks with all he had. He was filled with panic and rage, and those gave him the strength to open up the entrance. By the time he was finished, his fingers were bruised and bloody, but he didn't even notice, rushing inside the tower.

The room at the top was dark and empty. Mikleo's room was empty. The closets were empty. Michael's greatest fear had come true.

Mikleo was gone.

* * *

Mikleo still had a lump in his throat when they arrived in front of The Snuggly Duckling, but he didn't really know what to do about it. He didn't want to bother Sorey since he was already being so kind to Mikleo by agreeing to help him when he really didn't have to.

"So, I think I need to warn you about this place." Sorey began, smiling sheepishly. "Sure, the name is all cute, but don't let it fool you! It's kind of a dump. Don't expect it to be actually snuggly, you'll be horribly disappointed and potentially horrified. Trust me, I speak from experience. Also, there are no ducklings."

Sorey was making the cutest pouty face ever, and Mikleo could feel himself relaxing a little despite himself. He chuckled.

"Thanks for the warning."

"No problem!" The smile was back. "Why Rose hangs out here, I'll never know."

With that, Sorey opened the door and they got inside.

He really hadn't been exaggerating. The smell was so bad Mikleo felt like he could faint from it. The place seemed extremely unsanitary. It was filled with men. Thugs, he supposed, exactly the kind of people his uncle had always warned him about. But Mikleo was with Sorey, so he didn't have to fear anything, right?

Sorey had gathered up Mikleo's hair so he could close the door behind them. It was kind of a funny sight, his companion standing there with his arms full of white-blue hair, looking around the tavern. Presumably to see if this friend of his was actually there. Mikleo looked around, too, despite the fact that he couldn't possibly recognise Sorey's friend even if she was present.

Their line of sight was soon blocked, though. By a shirtless man. Mikleo's eyes went wide and he took a step back, trying to get closer to Sorey.

"That's a lot of hair," the shirtless man said, grinning at Mikleo. Mikleo didn't know how he was supposed to react. Did _this_ man want his hair?

"Yeah, I suppose it is," Sorey said, and Mikleo was relieved he didn't have to answer. "Uh, Zaveid, could you move, please? I'm trying to see if Rose is here."

"Only if you introduce me to your friend here, first." The grin of the man's face grew even larger and Mikleo could feel himself starting to hate him a little. Sorey sighed.

"Fine. Zaveid, this is Mikleo. Mikleo, this is Zaveid. Now please move!" Sorey finally let go of Mikleo's hair, setting it all down on the floor. Mikleo flinched at the thought of his hair touching that filthy surface, but he didn't really want to carry it around, either.

The man called Zaveid stepped aside with a laugh and strolled back to a table he seemed to be sharing with a blonde man. Mikleo didn't want to know how Sorey knew this man.

"So, Rose… Let's just have a look around," Sorey said. They walked away from the door, deeper into the tavern. Mikleo observed the patrons carefully. Most of them seemed indeed to be the sort Michael was always warning him about. But there were also people who looked completely normal, and that eased his mind a little. Surely nothing bad would happen to him here, since he wasn't even alone.

"There!" Sorey's exclamation made Mikleo jump a little, and then the brunette was grabbing his hand, pulling him towards one table. Sorey's hand was warm and soft. Mikleo could feel his face heating up again.

"Rose!" Luckily Sorey seemed to be completely oblivious to his reaction, focusing on the red-haired girl in front of them.

"Sorey! I was wondering when you'd get your ass down here!" The girl's eyes moved to Mikleo, then to their joined hands. Oh. Sorey was still holding his hand. Rose smiled up at Mikleo. "Who's your _friend_?"

Sorey seemed to catch himself then, jumping a little and finally letting go of Mikleo's hand. Mikleo felt a little disappointed.

"Rose, this is Mikleo! It's, uh, kind of a long story, but we're going exploring with him!"

"We are?" Rose seemed genuinely surprised, her eyebrows rising. "Well, why don't you two sit down for a while and let me in on that long story."

Sorey shrugged and sat down across Rose. Mikleo took the chair next to him, trying to gather up his hair on the floor next to him to keep it from getting trampled by dozens of dirty boots.

"So," Rose started, dragging out the syllable. "What's with the hair?"

Mikleo turned to look at Rose, but Sorey was quicker to speak.

"No, Rose! You can't ask about the hair!"

"Aww, why not?" Rose frowned.

"How about I just tell you about the agreement Mikleo and I have here?"

Rose rolled her eyes. "Fine."

And so Sorey explained their plan to Rose, in a slightly persuasive tone. Judging by the look on her face, Rose didn't seem too pleased with his plan.

"Are you sure about this, Sorey?" Then she turned to Mikleo. "No offense."

"Yes, I'm sure! I already promised, and I'm not going to break it." Sorey paused. "Besides, it's Mikleo's _birthday_ in a couple of days!"

The pleading look on Sorey's face must have had some kind of effect on Rose, since she just sighed and nodded.

"Alright." Rose turned to Mikleo, a slight smile appearing on her lips. "So, Mikleo. What's your reason for wanting to explore ruins? Are you a huge nerd like Sorey here-"

"Hey!"

"-or do you perhaps have a more practical goal? Say, something like… the potential profits?"

Mikleo blinked. "Profits?"

"Rose, you're making us look bad!" Sorey cried out. "We're not looters or anything like that! We respect the history!"

Sorey was being cute again. Rose just laughed. "Calm _down_ , Sorey. I'm sure he understands. You see, Mikleo, I know history is grand and all that jazz. So sometimes Sorey and I go and recover some coveted artifacts and such. Then we go and give them to museums for study and safekeeping, and usually they are very thankful for them. Then a reward is in order. Sometimes not all of the artifacts are wanted and we get to keep some of them. Meaning, we get to sell them to happy collectors. Everybody wins."

Sorey looked displeased. Mikleo shrugged. Frankly, it all seemed a little barbaric to him, treating ancient artifacts like that, but he wanted to stay on Rose's good side. "Well, I mean, if that's how it works, then…"

Rose raised her pint at Mikleo in a toast. "That, my friend, certainly _is_ how it works."

"By the way, Rose, why-" Sorey began to speak again, but he was interrupted by a loud, roaring yell which made Mikleo jump and the whole tavern seem like it was shaking with the force of it. In the table next to them, someone threw a glass on the ground, smashing it.

"Oh, great," Rose mumbled, then looked at Mikleo. "Get under the table."

"What?" But Rose had already slipped away from her own chair. Mikleo looked at Sorey, who grabbed his hand again, pulling Mikleo under the table with him.

"What's going on?" Mikleo asked, looking at Rose, then back to Sorey, then at Rose again.

"A good ol' barfight," Rose explained. "Except it's not so good. Come on."

With a wave of her hand, Rose started crawling towards something. Sorey gathered some of Mikleo's hair in his arms again and nodded at him.

"Follow her."

Mikleo started crawling after Rose. His eyes were wide as he looked around the tavern from his position on the floor. It was complete chaos. Glasses were flying around and people were yelling, most of them taking swings at one another, sometimes even hitting. Drinks were spilled on the ground. He just hoped none of them would hit him. Smelling like ale didn't sound like an experience he was itching to have.

Mikleo looked behind him. Sorey was there, looking a little comical, trying to crawl forward while holding a bunch of hair with one arm. Mikleo couldn't keep himself from smiling. Sorey noticed he was looking at him with a grin on his face and he returned the smile.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity of crawling on the dirty tavern floor, the three of them were relatively safe behind the bar counter. But the way to the door was blocked by dozens of fighting thugs, and it didn't seem like the fighting was going to die down anytime soon.

"What now?" Mikleo had to yell to get Sorey and Rose to hear his voice. Rose responded with a grin. She got up and pulled on one of the beer taps on the bar.

And just like that, a secret hatch opened before them. Sorey got up and pulled Mikleo with him.

"Come on, let's go!"

The three of them disappeared into the secret tunnel, leaving the noise of the tavern behind them.


	2. Chapter 2

It had been a while since the last time Sorey had been in the dark, damp tunnel, but he and Rose recalled the route perfectly. Honestly, despite them being just two peaceful adventurers minding their own business, they were on the run quite a lot. More than occasionally they had run through this passage when things in the tavern got a little too heated. All the more reason for him to question Rose's affinity for The Snuggly Duckling.

Rose was holding a lantern that they had found at the start of the secret passage. It was the only source of light, so the three of them walked as close to each other as possible. The only sound in the tunnel was their footsteps. Mikleo seemed to be deep in thought and Sorey wondered what he was thinking of. How could he be so silent? If Sorey was in his position, he'd have a thousand questions in his head, and he wouldn't be able to keep quiet about them.

Mikleo seemed to be the curious type as well, though. He had to be, since he wanted to see ancient ruins. Wanted it so much that he'd go against the will of his guardian and leave his home. Which was apparently the only place he had ever known.

What was up with that, anyway? The uncle and the tower. It all seemed so strange and kind of messed up to Sorey. But he knew Mikleo wouldn't talk about it, so asking was pointless. There was the hair, too. Another forbidden topic. For some reason, it had seemed like Mikleo assumed that Sorey appearing in his tower meant he wanted something with his hair. But what would he want? And why would Mikleo think that?

It appeared that despite Sorey being, in fact, _not_ in Mikleo's position, he still had a thousand questions.

The silence allowed Sorey to observe the passage with a completely new focus; while he knew the place relatively well, he was usually too busy talking with Rose to notice all the little details. Well, the place was mostly just two things: dark and stone walls. Some barrels of god knows what on the way, and then that creepy skeleton, which they were just passing. Sorey knew it was there, had probably been for a long while (full of cobwebs), but he had always avoided really looking at it, because it was creepy, okay? But now he wasn't distracted with conversation so he couldn't look away and whoa, he had never noticed that there was _a sword_ carved deep into the skull. Wow. Who was this person, anyway? Why had the body been left there?

Sorey shook his head, feeling a little dizzy. Suddenly he never wanted to see this tunnel again. Maybe he could convince Rose to find a nicer place to hang out than The Snuggly Duckling? Not likely. He would try it anyway.

Suddenly, Mikleo broke the silence. "Sorey, your arm."

"Huh?" He understood what Mikleo was referring to and glanced down at his previously patched up wound; the bandage had become loose and slid down his arm a little, leaving the cut uncovered again. A tiny hint of blood was still seeping out from the wound and there was some dried blood around it as well. Back in Mikleo's tower Sorey had cleaned it up as well as one can manage with just water; now it looked like he hadn't touched the cut at all. This was not good, but there wasn't much he could do now. They didn't have access to clean water or any additional pieces of cloth. All he could do was to fix the knot and secure the bandage back around the cut. Hopefully it was enough.

"Where'd you get that one, anyway?" Rose asked with a small frown on her face.

"The thugs, earlier today," Sorey replied with a sigh. "Which reminds me. Who were they? Why did they start chasing us?"

Rose kept walking, avoiding Sorey's gaze. "No idea."

"Really? But they must've had a reason. It's so weird." He turned towards Mikleo. "We don't run into other adventurers much. There aren't so many around these parts. I've heard that the neighboring kingdoms are even richer in the number of ancient ruins, but I've never been to them. I like this one."

Mikleo gave him a small smile in response to that. It must have been so amazing to him, hearing about faraway lands after living his whole life inside a tower. Sorey wanted to tell him more about them. Luckily, they'd have time, if not today at camp then maybe tomorrow on the journey to the ruins. Still, Rose's response to his question had been weird. She wasn't one to avoid eye contact while talking to someone, or to give such short replies. Sorey felt he couldn't drop the issue just yet, but was unsure how to proceed. It could wait until camp, he supposed. Rose probably wouldn't yield in this situation. At camp, she couldn't busy herself with walking away from Sorey as fast as possible and avoiding his gaze.

Sorey decided to keep talking to avoid another silence. "The bandage must have been dislodged while we were escaping the tavern."

Mikleo seemed to catch on his desire to keep the conversation going. "You seem to know that place like the back of your hand."

"Yup!" was Rose's reply. She was looking at Mikleo now, like nothing had happened. Like she hadn't avoided Sorey's gaze just a second ago. "I hang out there, feels like home. Sorey doesn't like it too much, though. You didn't seem to either."

Rose's smile was mischievous, a little teasing. Mikleo just shrugged. "It was… filthy."

"It certainly is," Rose replied with a chuckle. Then they were silent again. It was a little awkward. But maybe only Sorey felt that way, since both of his companions seemed to be lost in thought once again.

It didn't matter much, since they were nearing the end of the tunnel anyway. Which was good, because the day was slowly turning to night. They had to make camp before that and plan out tomorrow. Mikleo's first expedition. The thought of that made Sorey smile.

* * *

After the initial panic died down, Michael left the tower with a newfound determination. He had no idea where Mikleo had gone to, but he suspected he wasn't alone. Someone must've found him; whether he left by force or his own will mattered not. It could be either one, really. There had been that stupid talk about going to explore ruins, after all.

He had to start his search somewhere and pray the boy wouldn't make his way to town before Michael would reach him. Once he found him, getting him back to the tower would be just a matter of pulling the right strings: he had the boy wrapped around his finger, after all.

Michael set his course for the only tavern nearby. It was only logical, and one thing was certain: a boy with that much hair couldn't get too far without people seeing him.

* * *

Finding a decent spot to camp had been surprisingly hard. At least in Mikleo's opinion. It wasn't like he knew anything about camping spots, but there seemed to be a certain art to it. There had to be enough shelter for sleeping, but also a good place for building a fire so that it wouldn't spread. Or maybe Sorey and Rose were just super picky about where they camped.

But all was well now. They had gathered up some firewood and set up a campfire with relative ease. Clearly Mikleo's companions were total professionals at this. Rose was cooking something by the campfire while Sorey and Mikleo were sitting next to each other, leaning on a fallen tree trunk. The night sky was clear and Mikleo couldn't stop looking at it: this was so different from looking at the stars from the tower window. This time, they were actually right above his head and all around him, and Mikleo wondered just how big the world really was.

"So, about tomorrow," Sorey broke the silence, but Mikleo didn't really mind since the topic was very welcome. He was more excited about tomorrow than the stars, after all. He turned to look at Sorey. "We're going somewhere Rose and I have been to many times. The place has been picked clean already, but it'll be safer since we know the layout and the traps. You'll get the experience anyway!"

Mikleo knew it was stupid, but he felt a little disappointed anyway. Rationally thinking, Sorey's plan was great: no matter how much Mikleo had read about ruins, he was still a complete newbie at actual exploring. But still, it would be so exciting to go somewhere no one had been before, to solve all the puzzles and figure out all the traps. Still, Sorey's plan was more reasonable. Michael probably wouldn't be too happy with him if he returned home with an injury. If he returned at all from such a trip.

"I assume you guys are responsible for it being picked clean?" Mikleo asked instead of objecting.

"Well, yeah." Sorey was scratching the back of his head and smiling sheepishly. "It's so close to town! It's convenient."

"And the treasures have been most satisfactory!" Rose called out with a smirk, making Sorey frown.

"Rose…" Sorey whined, but Mikleo ignored the comment, deciding that he didn't need to alienate one of his guides by expressing how uncivilized he found the profit-driven thinking to be. Rose had already seemed rather reluctant to take Mikleo with them at all. And she was Sorey's partner: no matter how friendly Sorey was, Mikleo was under no illusion that he would ever choose _him_ over his long-time partner, should things get ugly. So it was better to stay in Rose's good graces. She seemed like someone who could probably get really scary, too.

"I feel like me and Rose are this kingdom's designated adventurers." Sorey had apparently decided to talk about something more pleasant, and now he had a fond smile on his face. "I mean sure, there are others, but like I said, we rarely run into them. We're the professionals here!"

Mikleo listened to him intently. Sorey's smile was truly contagious. He must've loved this place dearly, if he only wanted to explore ruins here. Mikleo wondered what the neighboring kingdoms were like. He had some geography books back at home, but Michael had always been hesitant with everything that wasn't a history book from their own homeland. Therefore, Mikleo's knowledge of these mysterious places was limited to what the weather was like and where the rivers flowed.

Then the smile disappeared again, replaced by a frown. Sorey chewed on his lower lip, seemingly thinking about something very hard before speaking up. "Rose… You, uh, you were lying about not knowing those thugs, right?"

Mikleo blinked. Wow, straightforward. He had definitely noticed something strange about Rose's demeanor earlier; when Sorey had questioned her about his attackers, she seemed to tense up. So, Mikleo didn't imagine that then. Sorey's way of pursuing this was rather surprising, though. But, well, he knew Rose better than Mikleo did, of course. They seemed to be close, _very_ close.

Rose had frozen. For a moment they were all silent. Mikleo and Sorey stared at Rose, who cleared her throat after a while.

"That, uh…"

It was weird seeing Rose like this, she had seemed so confident and suave until now. Sorey had definitely caught her off guard. Finally, after a heavy silence, she sighed, closing her eyes. Whatever she was hiding, she had clearly realized that Sorey had caught her lie.

"Okay, please don't get mad, I know I should have told you, but I just… didn't."

"Alright…" Sorey was still frowning, staring at Rose intently while she got up and made her way to her satchel. She sticked her hand in, looking for something, and finally pulled out something very shiny. It was round in shape, dainty, and golden. Sorey's jaw dropped and his eyes went so wide Mikleo thought they would pop out of his skull.

"It was because of this."

"Bu-but, that's…"

"The prince's circlet, yes."

"You stole the lost prince's circlet?!" The shriek was so loud Mikleo swore even his uncle could hear it, no matter how far he had traveled already.

"No I didn't! Well, yeah, I did, but I was not the one who originally stole it!" Sorey seemed to be at a loss, confused by his friend's words. Rose continued with another sigh. "I took it back from the thugs because it didn't belong to them."

Now the brunet was gaping at her. "Rose, what were you thinking? They have been searching high and low for this thing ever since it was stolen! I'm pretty sure they'd hang the one who stole it in a heartbeat!"

"I want to return it!" Rose's voice was filled with desperation. "Even I am not crazy enough to try and make money off this thing. I figured we'd be going to town soon anyway and I'd get a chance to return it safely to the palace. Those thieves didn't deserve to have it."

"But-" Sorey didn't get the chance to continue his sentence, because Rose interrupted him.

"Everyone knows this circlet means the world to the queen. How I came into possession of it is irrelevant. The dudes were pissing me off."

"Rose…" Sorey seemed to be at a loss, trying to decide whether to be angry or worried.

Mikleo, who had been quietly observing the exchange until now, was surprised to see this side of Rose. He had taken Rose for a profiteering grave robber, to put it bluntly. Clearly, he had been too hasty with his judgement. A money hungry thief wouldn't speak so tenderly about this treasure. The thought made Mikleo blush a little in his guilt. He had to speak up right then - for he just couldn't figure out what the shiny thing Rose was holding _was_.

"What's a circlet?" His eyes were fixed on the object. It was beautiful. Really, really beautiful. Gorgeous. The fire made it glow just a bit, and the gemstone on it sparkled. Mikleo felt drawn to it.

"Oh," Sorey said. "It's… sort of like a crown? It goes on your head. This one belongs to the lost prince of this kingdom. He disappeared when he was a baby, and this thing has been heavily guarded ever since."

"Can I see?" Mikleo asked, already daring to reach for the circlet. He didn't know what had gotten into him, acting so bluntly. But he really, really wanted to see this circlet. Rose eyed him warily before handing it over.

"Well, I suppose… But be really, really careful with it."

Mikleo held it in his hands, looking down at its beauty. He wasn't usually fazed by pretty trinkets, could even go as far as to say he didn't care for them at all. "It goes on your head, you said? Like this?" he said, placing it on his head, adjusting his bangs a little.

The circlet was cool against his forehead, but it fit him perfectly. It was light and dainty, just like it had been in his and Rose's hands, but on his forehead it felt different. Despite the lightness, he could feel it on his head, feel a certain weight, a pressure. Mikleo didn't know what to think about this feeling, and he felt a pang of disappointment for not being able to see himself right now. Rose and Sorey stared at him in awe and for a moment everything was silent.

"Wow," Sorey whispered. "It's like…"

"Like it was made for you," Rose said. For some reason, she was frowning.

"Oh," Mikleo replied, wetting his lips. He couldn't come up with anything else to say. Finally, he carefully took off the circlet, handing it over to Rose again. "Well, it's a very beautiful circlet."

"It is." Sorey nodded a few times. Then he paused. "And like I said, precious enough to justify hanging. Rose, I really hope they won't think _you_ took it."

"They won't! I will return it and rat the actual thieves out. All will be well!"

A pause, then a sigh. "If you say so."

"I do. Now, let's have supper! Tomorrow will be a long day."

* * *

One thing Mikleo definitely wasn't used to was getting up at the asscrack of dawn. On top of that, the excitement and his nerves had made sure he hadn't slept very well either. They were quite a ways from the temple Sorey had talked about and getting there on foot would take some time. Hence the inhuman waking time.

It seemed that Sorey and Rose weren't completely unaffected by the early morning either. In all honesty it make Mikleo feel a little bit better about himself, seeing his more experienced companions yawning and rubbing their eyes as well.

The trio set a steady pace, aiming to finish their journey well before the sun set. They were expecting to still have plenty of daylight left after arriving at their destination, Sorey and Rose had calculated the journey would take about half a day if they were swift. Mikleo was determined to keep up with them, even though he knew he wasn't exactly as athletic as his new friends. His long days in the tower had left him with plenty of time to keep himself in some sort of shape, however, so he was quite confident in his ability to make the trek.

Still, he was touched when Sorey told him to let him know if he wanted to take a break, any time. He wouldn't, he was way too eager to get to the ruins, but the sentiment was nice and made him feel… warm. Sorey was so different from his uncle. The severity of Michael was nowhere to be found, and while Mikleo loved his uncle, he already knew that he preferred Sorey's company a thousand times more. They had known each other for less than 24 hours. It was crazy. But Mikleo couldn't imagine going on his first expedition with anyone else anymore.


End file.
